When something is aberrant it is unusual, not socially acceptable, or a departure from the norm.

Something that is amorphous has no clear shape, boundaries, or structure.

A curio is an object that is very old or unusual, and thus it is viewed as interesting.

A situation that is discordant does not fit with other things and is therefore disagreeable, strange, or unpleasant.

Things that are disparate are clearly different from each other and belong to very different groups or classes.

Divergent opinions differ from each other; divergent paths move apart from one another.

If you say someone is eccentric you mean that she or he behaves in a strange and unusual way that is different from most people.

Homogeneous is used to describe a group which has members or parts that are very similar or are all of the same type.

Idiosyncratic tendencies, behavior, or habits are unusual and strange.

If you say that one thing is incommensurate with another, you mean that the first thing is very different in level, size, or quality from the second.

Something that is incongruous is strange when considered along with its group because it seems very different from the other things in its group.

Something that is inconspicuous does not attract attention and is not easily seen or noticed because it is small or ordinary.

Two irreconcilable opinions or points of view are so opposed to each other that it is not possible to accept both of them or reach a settlement.

Something that is mundane is very ordinary and not interesting or exciting, especially because it happens very often.

A paradox is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or unrealistic, but may surprisingly express a possible truth.

One has a parochial outlook when one is mostly concerned with narrow or limited issues that affect a small, local area or a very specific cause, and are unconcerned with wider or more general issues.

Propriety is behaving in a socially acceptable and appropriate way.

Something that is prosaic is dull, boring, and ordinary.

If you are steadfast you have a firm belief in your actions or opinions and refuse to give up or change them because you are certain that you are doing the right thing.

Something that is unadorned is not made more attractive with ornament or decoration.

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Noun

anomaly

uh-NOM-uh-lee

Context

In her family of black-haired relatives, Annie’s bright red locks were an anomaly. Her grandfather was very surprised at how different Annie looked from his other grandchildren and exclaimed, “What an anomaly this girl is!” All the children in her neighborhood called her “carrot top” because of her anomalous, odd red hair; she was the only child they knew with such a striking and noticeable feature.

Word Ingredients

An anomaly is “not the same” as other things. Note here that the “h” in the root word “homo” is dropped for purposes of easier pronunciation.

Word Theater

YouTube: Daniel Simons (Selective Attention Test) Will you see the anomaly?

The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!

Word Constellation

Click for an interactive map of this word

Related Words

aberrant ·

amorphous ·

curio ·

discordant ·

disparate ·

divergent+ ·

eccentric ·

idiosyncratic ·

incommensurate ·

incongruous ·

irreconcilable ·

paradox ·

homogeneous ·

inconspicuous ·

mundane ·

parochial ·

propriety ·

prosaic ·

steadfast ·

unadorned ·

Similar sense

Opposite sense

Word Variants

anomalous
adj

→

abnormal, different

The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.